Sirie is dividit intae fowerteen govrenorates, or muhafazat (singular: muhafazah). The govrenorates are dividit intae a total o saxty destricts, or manatiq (sing. mintaqah), which are further dividit intae sub-destricts, or nawahi (sing. nahiya).

A govrenor, whose appointment is proposed bi the meenister o the interior, approved bi the cabinet, an annoonced bi executive decree, heids each govrenorate. The govrenor is assistit bi an electit provincial cooncil.

The caipital Damascus is the seicont lairgest ceety in Sirie, an the metropolitan aurie is a govrenorate on its awn.
Aleppo (population 1,671,673) in northren Sirie, the lairgest ceety, is an' a' a major industrial, urban an cultural center. Aleppo's auld toun haes been designatit bi the UNESCO as a Warld Heritage Steid. Latakia (population 554,000) alang wi Tartus are Sirie's main ports on the Mediterranean sea. Ither major ceeties include Hama (population 696,863) in central o Sirie, Homs (population 1,033,000) in the sooth o Hama an Deir ez-Zor (population 230,000) on the Euphrates river in eastren Sirie.